Written Comprehension
What this section tests
Written Comprehension gives you a short passage - a policy excerpt, an incident narrative, or a definition - and asks what it states, what it implies, or what a term means in that context. Four skills carry most of the points: finding the main idea, locating an explicit detail, drawing a supported inference, and reading vocabulary in context.
Concepts to master
- Main idea vs. supporting detail. The main idea covers the whole passage; details cover one sentence.
- Stated vs. implied. An inference must be forced by the text, not merely reasonable in the real world.
- Context vocabulary. A familiar word ("party," "complaint," "party to a report") may carry a technical meaning inside the passage. Answer from the sentence, not your memory of the word.
- Purpose and tone. Ask whether the author is explaining, directing, or warning.
Traps
The most common wrong answer is true but not in the passage - accurate about police work generally, unsupported by the text. Second is extreme wording: always, never, all, only, must where the passage says may or generally. Third is recycled wording: an option that repeats a phrase from the passage but reverses its meaning. Fourth is the half-right option - one clause correct, one clause invented.
Rule of thumb
For every option you are tempted by, point to the exact words that prove it. If you must add information from outside the passage to make it true, it is wrong.
Worked example
Passage: "Reports are due before the end of the shift in which the incident occurred. A supervisor may grant a written extension when the officer is assigned to a prolonged scene." Question: What can be inferred about an officer who spends six hours at a scene? A correct inference is that the officer may request, not automatically receive, an extension. "The officer is excused from filing a report" is too strong; "may" never becomes "is exempt."